A federal court in California has allowed various claims by a distributor against its supplier to go to trial, including a California Unfair Competition Law ("UCL") claim alleging the supplier should have provided a Franchise Disclosure Document. G.P.P., Inc. v. Guardian Protection Prods., Inc., 2017 WL 220305 (E.D. Cal. Jan. 18, 2017). The Pennsylvania-based plaintiff was the exclusive distributor of defendant Guardian's products in several different territories, which did not include California. But the distributor had originally entered into distribution agreements that included a California choice-of-law provision. A dispute arose out of the distributor's alleged failure to meet certain quotas. Despite notices of potential termination sent by the supplier, the parties continued their distribution relationship while seeking a declaration of whether termination would be proper. Both parties moved for summary judgment. The supplier argued that the distributor could not base its UCL claim on alleged violations of the federal Franchise Rule because the Federal Trade Commission Act does not provide a private cause of action.
The court ultimately denied summary judgment on the UCL claim, finding that the Franchise Rule would not preclude a UCL claim based on a failure to provide a FDD. The court refused to follow an unpublished Ninth Circuit case cited by the supplier, and further found that state franchise laws provided an independent basis for the UCL claim.
- Partner
Maisa Frank represents clients in a variety of litigation matters. Whether conducting pre-dispute investigations, navigating litigation, or negotiating resolutions, Maisa’s advice and strategy is vital to clients facing ...
The information contained in this post is provided to alert you to legal developments and should not be considered legal advice. It is not intended to and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Specific questions about how this information affects your particular situation should be addressed to one of the individuals listed. No representations or warranties are made with respect to this information, including, without limitation, as to its completeness, timeliness, or accuracy, and Lathrop GPM shall not be liable for any decision made in connection with the information. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements.
About this Publication
The Franchise Memorandum is a collection of postings on summaries of recent legal developments of interest to franchisors brought to you by Lathrop GPM LLP.
To subscribe to monthly emails for The Franchise Memorandum, please click here.